air once he finished the rotation. “You’re just going to kill all three of us?”
“Yes, I am. I’ll make it look like a murder-suicide. I’m not sure which one of you is the killer yet, but you make the most likely choice, Jonah. Everyone knows you are a ticking time bomb.”
“What reason would I have to kill Avery and Mr. Albert?”
Zachary Albert was the name of one of the prison guards working death row when Bo was at GSP. Jonah borrowed his name, knowing it wasn’t likely Malcolm kept tabs on all of them for three and a half decades.
Narrowing his eyes, Malcolm pursed his lips together. “You make an excellent point, as usual.” Malcolm shrugged. “The possibilities are endless with the ocean and numerous lakes nearby.”
Ricky stiffened and turned to face Malcolm. “Why not a subdivision of homes under construction? It certainly worked out well for you the last time.”
Malcolm’s face flushed red with rage as he shifted his focus to Ricky. “How do you know that?”
“I didn’t recognize photos of you. All you closeted butch boys looked alike. I recognize your whiny-ass voice though. You went by Chuck back then. They called you Chuck the lousy fuck behind your back. Did you know?” Ricky taunted. Jonah wasn’t sure whether to applaud his boldness or clap a hand over his mouth before Malcolm killed them all. “You were in the police academy and would lurk around in the shadows of the clubs and bars. You developed a crush on Lola, but she didn’t return your interest, is that it? Or was it something more? Perhaps you didn’t recognize Earl in drag, but he recognized you.”
It looked like it took considerable effort for Malcolm to unclench his jaw. “Who the fuck are you? There’s no goddamned way a prison guard at the state penitentiary would know that. What the fuck is going on here?” His gun hand started shaking, and Jonah worried Ricky had pushed Malcolm too far. Jamming the gun against Avery’s temple, Malcolm shifted his hostile gaze to Jonah.
“Did you think you could fool me? Trick me into confessing?” Malcolm asked in an enraged voice. Spittle formed at the corners of his mouth, a shocking contrast to the ordinarily urbane man. “The joke is on you, Jonah. Then again, everything you’ve believed for the past eight months has been a big lie. Hasn’t it, Avery?”
Jonah risked a glance at Avery and saw a new kind of terror in his eyes. What could be worse than having a gun shoved against your head?
“No,” Avery said in a shaky voice. “None of it was a lie.”
“I know Jonah better than he realizes, and there’s no way the Boy Scout would’ve fallen for a common criminal like you,” Malcolm said.
“Avery?” Jonah asked.
“I should’ve t-t-told you before we, um…”
“Fucked,” Malcolm supplied. “You should see your face right now, Jonah. Such a prude. I had big plans for you, Avery. I would’ve helped you reach your full potential instead of pulling off the petty shit you did for The Purists. You chose Jonah. What a waste.”
“I-I can explain,” Avery said shakily.
“I already know,” Jonah said, unwilling to cause Avery any more anxiety.
“You do?” Avery and Malcolm asked at the same time.
“Ellen said she wasn’t going to tell you about Mr. Bradford’s run-in with the SPD,” Malcolm said.
“It wasn’t hard to figure out, Malcolm. After all, I did work on the investigation with the SPD. I knew The Purists utilized the skills of a talented hacker. Ellen approached me about an internship for a computer genius right after the investigation ended. The timing was too coincidental.”
Avery swallowed hard. “And you still…”
“Fucked him,” Malcolm said, raising a brow.
“Want him,” Jonah countered. If this was it for either or both of them, Jonah needed Avery to know. “I know the truth, and I still want you.”
Avery made the sweet little gasping sound, and Jonah was grateful to hear it, even if it was the last time. If someone was going to die this night, Jonah decided it would be him. “You do?”
Jonah nodded. “More than anything.”
“Aww,” Malcolm cooed. “So sweet. It’s too bad you’re going to die.”
“Let Avery go. Take me instead,” Jonah said.
“No,” Avery yelled.
“You should pick me,” Ricky offered.
The three of them vying to take the first bullet would’ve been funny if the situation wasn’t so fucking terrifying.
“At least tell me why you killed my friend,” Ricky said.
“I fell in love with Lola the second I saw her, but she didn’t even know I